A few years ago, when people started going viral because of these short dancing videos on TikTok, no one could have imagined how much that social media platform would change all the others.
Facebook introduced us all to the status update in 2006. Instagram changed the way we think about capturing memories and Snapchat forever altered our perception of "permanence." And now TikTok has changed social media again.
Success on this platform means gaining followers, and attracting them requires a clear strategy. Here's what you need to know to get more followers on TikTok.
Why TikTok follower growth matters
Understanding why TikTok follower growth matters starts with knowing how the platform works. TikTok offers followers two paths, a "For You" page and a "Following" page.
In the first, the TikTok algorithm determines what ends up in the feed. But in the second, only content from accounts that user follows shows up.
The more TikTok followers you have, the more eyes end up on your videos.
Engaged TikTok followers will regularly watch, comment on, and share your posts. When they share, an even broader audience has the chance to see your content. This triggers the algorithm to share your posts more often on the "For You" page, and the cycle repeats.
A greater number of TikTok followers also helps increase brand recognition. As users see and hear from your brand more often, you'll have more opportunities to create content that makes a real impact.
15 tips for getting more TikTok followers
It's clear that TikTok followers are important, but how do you build your following? And even more importantly, how do you reach followers who are likely to engage with your TikTok videos?
With some creativity and a solid TikTok strategy, it might be easier than you think. Start with these 15 tips:
1. Know your target audience
The first step is to identify your target audience. Once you know who they are, you can focus on creating content they'll actually enjoy. Start by taking a dive into your TikTok analytics. Check for what's resonating already with your current TikTok followers. Then think about the types of video content that are likely to keep this audience engaged.
Next, take a look at your competitors and other influencers in your industry. Check out trending videos from influencers in your niche and the most inspirational brands on TikTok. Use them as a starting point for creating your own content. While you never want to copy other creators directly, there's nothing wrong with finding trending video ideas and putting a spin on them to make them your own.
Think about the kinds of content you've been sharing on your other social media platforms. While you'll likely need to take a different approach with TikTok than you do with other platforms, you may still find some common trends and ideas that could perform well – you just need a TikTok angle.
Finally, before you post anything, pause for a moment and ask yourself whether your audience would find it entertaining or valuable. This will help you consistently post the most impactful content.
2. Participate in trends
Trends are the lifeblood of TikTok. When one catches on, users scramble to share their own take on it. Since TikTok's algorithm promotes content based on engagement, participating in challenges and trends could help your videos go viral.
How do you find trending challenges? Start by spending time in your TikTok feed. The more you scroll through, the more you'll find multiple videos that follow similar patterns or use the same sound clip. You can also use the "search" feature to see trending topics and news right on your "Discover" page.
Just remember that TikTok trends are generally short-lived. Some may last anywhere from a few weeks to a month or two, while others fizzle out in just a few days. So, make sure you're quick about creating content based on trends, or you may find that the crowd has already moved on to the next new thing.
3. Launch a TikTok challenge
TikTok users love to join trending challenges, so why not launch your own? It's easy to create a branded challenge. Just choose a catchy hashtag, then create a video with a challenge that's relevant to your brand. Encourage users to create their own versions and upload them with your brand hashtag. If you have enough existing followers, you could let your challenge grow organically. Or, consider enlisting the help of other creators and influencers with a relevant target audience.
Branded hashtag challenges are an excellent way to leverage user-generated content to promote your brand. They encourage audience participation and feel more natural than in-feed ads.
4. Collaborate with other TikTok creators
Creating videos with other TikTok users can help you get in front of a whole group of new followers. Collaborating with other creators gives you a chance to put a fresh spin on your videos, and you may also learn new techniques or skills that help you improve your own content.
You can find potential collaborators by using TikTok's "Discover" page to search for other users in your niche or genre. Once you've found a potential partner, contact them directly to discuss options for working together. Duets and stitches are an easy way to collaborate. With a duet, you'll create a side-by-side video with other users, while a stitch lets you integrate your own video clips into an existing video. Both offer fun ways to engage with other creators and their audiences.
5. Start a content series
While a single TikTok video can be fun, posting a content series helps you engage with your audience on a deeper level and increase your follower count. A successful TikTok video series uses multiple videos to build on a single story, trend, or topic. Once you've published them, you can organize all of the videos together into a playlist and add it to your TikTok profile.
The key is to do this in a way that leaves people wanting more. Do it right, and they're more likely to head over to your profile to watch more videos. If they like you enough, they might follow. As your series gets more engagement, it's also likely to end up in more FYPs, where you can attract the attention of more potential followers.
6. Use the right hashtags
Hashtags are a powerful way to get the attention of Tiktok's algorithm. Just like on other social media platforms, hashtags can help your TikTok videos reach a larger audience by making them more discoverable. Adding trending and relevant hashtags to your captions can help boost engagement and attract new followers. It may even increase the chances of going viral.
Branded hashtags are also a powerful part of a solid TikTok strategy. When you use the same hashtag in all your posts, your followers will start associating it with your brand. This can help you build a loyal following.
7. Include closed captions to your videos
Adding closed captions on your TikTok videos makes them more accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. You can do this by turning captions on through TikTok's platform or adding your own text overlay.
Adding captions can increase the amount of time users spend watching a video, which triggers TikTok's algorithm to boost visibility. Captions also improve a video's search engine optimization, making it more likely to show up in searches.
8. Publish your videos at the right times
Like many social media platforms, sharing TikTok content at the right times can make a significant difference. While it's important to post consistently, it's also critical to post at times when your target audience is most active on the platform.
While the TikTok algorithm is somewhat of a mystery, it's generally believed that when videos get quick engagement, they're likely to reach a broader audience. So, choosing the best posting times could give your video content the boost it needs. Just keep in mind that different time zones can complicate things, so figuring out the right times to reach more followers might require a bit of trial and error.
You can find out when your current followers are most active by heading over to the TikTok analytics tab. Third-party social media analytics tools may also give you more details and recommendations to help you choose the optimal posting times.
The general consensus is that the best time to post on TikTok is between 6am and 9am and 7pm and 11pm.
9. Experiment with different video lengths
When creating content for TikTok, try videos of different lengths. In the TikTok app, you can record videos that are up to 10 minutes long. You can also upload videos up to 60 minutes long. So, what's the ideal video length? Well, this varies depending on the overall goal of the video, your target audience preferences, and your skills on camera.
If you're fairly new to TikTok or want to quickly catch the attention of new followers, a short-form video (15 to 30 seconds) may be your sweet spot. These shorter videos are quick to watch, simple to make, and make it easy for audiences to engage. You can use short-form videos to provide actionable tips, dance to trending songs, or find fun ways to engage with your audience.
As you get more comfortable on camera and expand your storytelling skills, try recording a few videos with longer lengths. Keep track of your TikTok analytics to figure out what resonates most with your followers.
10. Use trending music and sounds
Did you know that 88% of TikTok users say that sound is "essential" to the overall experience? TikTok's research also found that TikTok ads with music stop the scroll for 73% of users, and sound-on campaigns were 2.2 times better at increasing brand awareness than competitor campaigns with the sound off.
Use the platform's free commercial music library to add trending songs and sounds to your TikTok content. This can help you grab attention right away, increasing your video's overall performance.
11. Share user-generated content
If you find TikTok content that mentions your brand or is hyper-relevant to your industry, consider asking the creator if you can share it in exchange for giving them a shout-out on your post. Leveraging this type of user-generated content helps increase engagement by showing that you recognize and appreciate members of your community. As a brand, it's also an excellent way to create social proof, showing experiences of happy customers and giving new followers an idea of what they can expect.
12. Cross-promote to other social platforms
One way to get more followers on TikTok is to cross-promote your TikTok content to other social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Be sure to include your TikTok handle on your posts to make it easier for followers to find you. Not only will this save you time, but it can also help support your follower growth.
Since different platforms appeal to different demographics, this strategy can help you reach a broader audience with the same video content.
Just don't forget to optimize your post for each platform, including editing the length, caption, and trending hashtags. Using a social media scheduling tool, like Brandwatch, allows you to easily schedule posts for each platform at once, saving time and improving overall performance.
Of course, this may be a risky move. TikTok has it's own informal vibe and content that you post there might not make sense on, say, LinkedIn.
13. Adopt new features early
Taking advantage of the latest TikTok features can help you win with the algorithm. Whether you're adding the new flip feature to your TikTok stories or taking advantage of the latest advertising updates, it almost always pays to be an early adopter.
New features are often weighted more heavily by the algorithm in an effort to encourage people to use them. This gives early users a better chance of showing up in the "For You" page – and more eyes on your content often leads to more TikTok followers.
14. Add a call-to-action (CTA) to your TikTok videos
If you want to grow your follower count, sometimes all you need to do is ask. Try adding a CTA at the end of some of your videos. Don't overdo it, as this could turn viewers off, but it's completely fine to occasionally ask viewers to visit your TikTok profile, follow you, or check out one of your other videos. This is especially effective when you're creating a content series.
15. Attract more viewers with TikTok ads
Creating trending videos and going viral can help you get more followers – but it's not the only way. While the TikTok algorithm decides who sees your organic content, purchasing ads gives you control over your audience reach.
Improve your TikTok growth with Brandwatch
As an official TikTok partner, Brandwatch makes it easy to grow your TikTok presence.
It's a streamlined social media management solution that's effective for running one TikTok account or multiple alongside a whole range of other social platforms.
With Brandwatch, you can upload videos, add relevant hashtags, and customize captions for each platform at once, saving time and helping you keep up with the latest TikTok trends. Of course, you can also schedule posts well in advance to keep your channel active even when you're offline.
You can also look at your analytics (likes, comments, shares, reactions, views and more).
Perhaps most excitingly, you can also leverage the direct integration with TikTok Creator Marketplace to find the most popular TikTok creators to help you build your brand. Initiate collaborations and then seamlessly track influencers’ campaigns and measure posts performance.
All of this can help you build your following.
FAQ: How to get more followers on TikTok
How often should I post to get more TikTok followers?
General advice is to post to TikTok one to three times a day, but there are a few caveats. Daily posting is consistent, which social media users often like. However, quality is often way more important than quality. When you offer something truly valuable to your existing and potential followers, it may not matter if you post every day.
Are hashtags really important on TikTok?
Yes, using relevant hashtags helps users find your videos through searches. This puts your content in front of those who are most interested and likely to engage. Even more, trending hashtags could help encourage the TikTok algorithm to share your videos on the "For You" page, which gives your content exposure to a huge group of people who may not already follow you. For businesses, branded hashtags have a variety of good uses, including allowing you to track engagement and encourage people to participate in your challenges.
What type of content works best on TikTok?
Most users come to TikTok to relax and unwind. Research firm GWI found that 60% of TikTok users want funny videos to make up the bulk of their feed. Following closely to that preference, 45% say they want to see creative content, while 37% prefer videos that make them feel relaxed.
Should I collaborate with other TikTok creators?
There are many potential benefits to collaborating with other creators on TikTok. This can help you make more engaging TikTok videos and create opportunities for cross-promotion. Working with others can spark new ideas and creating duets and stitches can boost visibility and increase engagement.
How long should my TikTok videos be?
The best length for TikTok videos depends on the message you're trying to deliver, the overall goal of the article, and audience preferences. Generally, short-term videos (less than 60 seconds) tend to perform well. For in-feed video ads, TikTok recommends lengths of 5 to 60 seconds.